Method for Providing Episodic Media Content

ABSTRACT

A personalized media service provides, e.g., user customization of radio channel selections, immediate availability of multiple preprogrammed and/or customized channels, the ability to intersperse different types of content including periodically refreshed information content, availability of personal radio functions on devices such as car audio systems, PDAs, smartphones, MP3 players, etc. Available channels include, e.g., pre-programmed channels selected for the user based on an interest profile, user-owned content, user-specified recorded content, etc. An audio user interface facilitates user selection of programming and user purchase of currently played audio material. An overall radio experience is thus provided that combines the customization and flexibility of digital media with the immediacy and ubiquity of radio. Video materials may also be accommodated.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application is a continuation and claims the prioritybenefit of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/717,183 filed Nov. 19,2003 and entitled “Personalized Episodic Download Media Service,” thedisclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. The presentapplication is related to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/717,176filed Nov. 19, 2003 and entitled “Content Distribution Architecture,”the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to digital media and more particularly, incertain embodiments, to systems and methods for presenting digital mediato a user.

Improvements in processor speed, digital storage capacity, and networkbandwidth have enabled remarkable advances in the consumer audio andvideo experience. User control over video experience has been enhancedby personal video recorders that exploit digital storage advances tocache large amounts of video programming for later viewing. Conventionalterrestrial and CATV programming delivery choices have been supplementedwith digital video content broadcast via cable or satellite as well ashigh definition satellite and terrestrial broadcasts with highdefinition cable services being under serious discussion.

The user audio experience has also been transformed. The shift from thetraditional phonograph media to compact discs (CDs) in combination withthe subsequent wide-scale distribution of personal computers withbuilt-in read/write CD players allowed audiophiles to create their own“favorites” CDs for personal use. More recently, the advent of portableMP3 players allows users to carry their favorite songs anywhere theyare. Distribution of music over the Internet has also advanced althoughcertain forms of distribution have proven controversial due to concernsover copyrights.

Another traditional form of audio content distribution is radio. Evenwith the advent of more advanced audio content distributiontechnologies, radio continues to be popular. For music listeners, radiooffers an element of serendipity in that even if the station selectionis indicative of a music type preference, the sequence of songs playedwill be a surprise and new songs will sometimes be heard for the firsttime. For those interested in news, sports, and other programming theradio offers frequent updates, potentially interspersed with other typesof contents such as music, and easy multitasking with other activitiesnot possible with newspapers and web news sources.

The above-mentioned technological advances have been applied to radio toa certain extent. Digital radio broadcasts are available via theInternet and satellite. Standards have also emerged for digital AM, FM,and shortwave broadcasts. These developments have increased audiofidelity and expanded the number of available stations. However, thefull potential of current processing, networking, and digital storagetechnologies remains unrealized. Users cannot customize radio content tothe extent that they can rearrange their stored music content. A broadspectrum of pre-programmed radio content is now broadcast over theInternet but an important part of the appeal of radio is itsavailability in settings other than adjacent to a broadband internetconnection, e.g., in the car, while exercising, etc.

Current Internet broadcasting technologies are also deficient in otherrespects in comparison to traditional radio. When tuning a conventionalradio, one expects immediate access to any selected station whether itbe by turning a tuning knob or pushing a preselect button. The listenercan almost instantaneously assess his interest in the selected stationand either continue listening or move on to another station. In thisway, the listener can rapidly assess a large number of audio listeningchoices. The Internet cannot yet provide this user experience. When theuser selects an Internet radio station, he must wait while his computerconnects and buffers audio material from the station. This delay,although not necessarily very long, is sufficient to slow user selectionamong stations and detract from the user experience.

What is needed are systems and methods for combining the customizationand broad range of choices associated with digital media with theimmediacy, ubiquity and continually refreshed content of radio.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Embodiments of the present invention provide, e.g, user customization ofradio channel selections, immediate availability of multiplepre-programmed and/or customized channels, the ability to interspersedifferent types of content including periodically refreshed informationcontent, availability of personal radio functions on devices such as caraudio systems, PDAs, smartphones, MP3 players, etc. Available channelsinclude, e.g., pre-programmed channels selected for the user based on aninterest profile, user-owned content, user-specified recorded content,etc. An audio user interface facilitates user selection of programmingand user purchase of currently played audio material. An overall radioexperience is thus provided that combines the customization andflexibility of digital media with the immediacy and ubiquity of radio.The present invention also finds application to video materials.

In one exemplary embodiment, a method for providing episodic media isprovided. The method includes providing a user with a dedicated episodicmedia channel and receiving a subscription request to the dedicatedepisodic media channel from the user. Updated episodic media associatedwith the dedicated episodic media channel is then automaticallydownloaded to a computing device associated with the user. The downloadoccurs in accordance with the subscription request of the user.

Further understanding of the nature and advantages of the inventionsherein may be realized by reference to the remaining portions of thespecification and the attached drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 depicts elements of a computer system according to one embodimentof the present invention.

FIG. 2 depicts elements of a portable electronic device according to oneembodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 depicts a physical arrangement of a portable electronic deviceaccording to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 depicts elements of a content distribution architecture accordingto one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 depicts a channel list according to one embodiment of the presentinvention.

FIG. 6A is a flowchart describing steps of operating a personalizedradio service according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6B depicts a channel prioritization scheme according to oneembodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6C depicts is a flowchart describing steps of synchronizing aportable device according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIGS. 7A-7B depicts the structure of playlists derived from preferredradio channel tree structures according to one embodiment of the presentinvention.

FIG. 8 depicts dynamic playback management according to one embodimentof the present invention.

FIG. 9 depicts operation of an audio user interface according to oneembodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Introduction

Embodiments of the present invention provide a very powerful media userinterface. A specific application to audio media materials andpersonalized radio is disclosed but it will be appreciated that otherembodiments of the present invention will provide a user interface tovideo materials or other media.

Audio-related embodiments combine the customizability and wide range ofchoices of digital media with the immediacy, serendipity, ubiquity, andcontinually refreshed content of the radio experience. Customized audiocontent is pre-cached allowing the user to choose among multipleimmediately available programming offerings. A PC is used as a stagingdevice to retrieve and organize audio content but the listeningexperience is not limited to the PC but is also available on a range ofportable devices such as MP3 players, PDAs, smartphones, etc.

Embodiments of the present invention are fully sensitive to rightsmanagement concerns. While providing local caching of desired content,the content is only available through the user interface that enforcesrestrictions as appropriate against e.g., rewinding content, propagatingcontent to other users, copying content, etc. Generally speaking, onlyregistered devices may receive licensed content.

Devices and Systems

As has already been mentioned user interfaces of the present inventionexploit a variety of systems and devices. Preferably, an appropriatelyconfigured personal computer, referred to herein as a “station,” is usedfor radio personalization, management and organization of content,retrieval of content via a network, rights management and enforcement,recording, etc. Playing of content may be done via either the station ora portable device such as MP3 player, PDA, smartphone, car audio system,etc. The station or portable device preferably also allows forconvenient listener rating of audio materials to facilitate publishercollection of ratings, easy user access to information about currentlyplaying content, easy purchase of currently playing content, etc.

FIG. 1 depicts elements of a representative personal computer 100serving as a station according to one embodiments of the presentinvention. Personal computer 100 may be a laptop computer, desktopcomputer, etc. The various elements are depicted as being interconnectedby a bus 102. However, it will be understood that the actualinterconnections among the various elements of a modern personalcomputer are more complex. Further bus details are not presented becausethey are not germane to the operation of the present invention. Also, itwill be appreciated that various elements may be either inside thecomputer's structure, outside the computer's structure, or implementedby elements both inside and outside the computer body.

Computer 100 incorporates basic elements such as a processor 104, amemory 106, a hard drive 108, and a CD read/write player 110. Processor104 typically executes instructions stored in memory 106. Theinstructions perform the functions of the present invention. Longer termstorage of instructions may be on hard drive 106, on a CD accessedthrough player 110, on other media such as a DVD-ROM, etc. Anotherexample of a computer-readable medium that carries the instructions maybe a signal received over a network, i.e., downloading of software.

Another key role of the various memory and storage devices is to storecontent to be played upon command. For example, audio content may becached on hard drive 108 and loaded into memory 106 while being played.

Computer 100 also includes various elements to interact with the user.There is a display 112, a keyboard/mouse 114, and sound system/speakers116. Display 112 and keyboard/mouse 114 facilitate customization andselection of content. Sound system/speakers 116 allow playing of useraudio content at the station.

Computer 100 can obtain content in many different ways. For example,content may be remotely retrieved from a network via a network interface118. Network interface 118 may incorporate one or more of, e.g., anEthernet interface, DSL modem, cable modem, fiber optic transceiver,wireless modem, etc. Content may also be retrieved from a CD inserted inplayer 110 or from other media inserted in a appropriate peripheraldevice. Embodiments of the present invention further provide capturingand recording of audio material received via a radio receiver/recorder120. Radio receiver/recorder 120 may include capabilities for receptionof e.g., conventional or digital AM/FM, conventional or digitalshortwave, digital satellite, TV audio, etc. To ameliorate the impact ofelectromagnetic interference, radio receiver/recorder 120 is preferablylocated outside the body of computer 100.

Audio content that has been organized and collected on computer 100 mayalso be transferred to another device for more convenient listening.Accordingly, computer 100 is equipped with a synchronization interface122. Via synchronization interface 122, selected audio content may betransferred to another device. Also, user selections such as ratings ofcontent, purchase orders for content, may be transferred back tocomputer 100 for relaying to the content publisher. Synchronizationinterface 122, may be, e.g., a USB interface, wireless interface such asa Bluetooth interface, etc. Synchronization may alternatively occuracross a network by employing network interface 118. For example,synchronization may occur via an IEEE 802.11 network or link, or acrossthe Internet.

FIG. 2 depicts elements of a representative portable device 200configured to implement embodiments of the present invention. Portabledevice 200 is, e.g., a smartphone, MP3 player, PDA, car audio device,etc. Not all of the depicted elements will necessarily be found in allof the device types. Depicted portable device 200 includes a processor202, a memory 204, a hard drive 206, and a flash memory device 208. Thevarious memory and storage devices can store instructions to be executedby processor 202 in the course of implementing functions of the presentinvention. Instructions can also be loaded via a network or other linkto a computer or other device. Each of the various memory devices arealso usable to store audio content. To provide a high quality customizedpersonal radio service, it is preferable, albeit not absolutelynecessary, to have 256 MB of memory available for storage of audiocontent. Multiple channels of audio content are then preferablyavailable within 250 milliseconds.

Software to implement the present invention may operate in the contextof portable device operating system software. Examples of portabledevice operating software include, e.g., the Palm™ OS, Windows Mobile™,various types of Symbian™ operating system such as Series 60™, UIQ™,etc.

Portable device 200 also includes a network/synchronization interface210. Network/synchronization interface 210 may provide a short rangelink to computer 100 via, e.g., a USB connection, a wireless Bluetooth™connection, a wireless 802.11 connection, etc. To implement a longerrange synchronization link, there may be, e.g., a 2.5 G or 3 G cellularinterface such as, e.g., a GPRS, EDGE, CDMA2000, UMTS, 1xEV-DO, 1xEV-DV.These types of wireless interface may also be used to download audiocontent directly from a network including, e.g., news/traffic updates.

In certain implementations, there is also a GPS receiver 213. GPSreceiver 213 exploits the Global Positioning System (GPS) to determine acurrent location of portable device 200. Alternative locationdetermining technologies may also be used.

The user interface features of the present invention exploit a display212 and an input device 214 that can incorporate buttons, dials, atouchscreen, pen-based input, etc. Sounds system/speaker (or headphones)216 play audio content and can also play audio cues for the userinterface.

FIG. 3 depicts a physical arrangement of some of the elements of FIG. 2in a simplified representative portable device 200. Display 212 ispositioned above a series of buttons 302 and a jog dial 304 that form apart of input device 214.

FIG. 4 depicts elements of a content distribution architecture accordingto one embodiment of the present invention. Station (computer) 100 actsas a staging device for audio content. Either station (computer) 100 orportable device 200 may play content. Some of the audio content ispre-programmed by a publisher (or publishers) 402 and propagated via adistribution network 404 operating across the Internet. Details ofdistribution network 402 are presented in the co-filed applicationentitled “Content Distribution Architecture.” Therein is disclosed apeer-to-peer distribution architecture that provides both quality ofservice guarantees and protection of ownership rights.

Channels

In the description that follows, a basic unit of media contentorganization is referred to as a “channel.” A channel specifies mediacontent that can be selected by a user for immediate play. By specifyinga channel, one does not necessarily specify an order of play. Somechannels are specified by a remote publisher and pre-defined from theperspective of the user. Other pre-defined channels correspond to e.g.,user-owned media content derived from CDs, DVDs, etc., locally orremotely recorded content from Internet, over-the-air, cable, satellite,etc., text from the web or other source that has been converted toaudio, etc. According to embodiments of the present invention, customchannels may be created by a user by way of combining pre-definedchannels.

Some publisher-defined channels correspond to music genres andsub-genres. Other pre-programmed channels may include radio shows, newsmaterials, etc. Other types of channels consist of content that the userhas separately acquired rights to. For example, a channel may be thecontents of a CD that the user has copied onto the station's hard drive.A channel may be a playlist that the user has constructed from multipleCDs.

Embodiments of the present invention also provide the capability toconstruct channels from recorded content. With appropriate capabilitiesincorporated within radio receiver/recorder 120, the user may specifyradio stations and/or radio programs for recording. An additionalfeature permits the user to even specify a song, artist, or music genreand have radio receiver/recorder 120 record content conforming to theselected criteria. If, as will often be the case, the content is notappropriately tagged, station 100 will analyze a signature of thecontent as known in the art and compare it to a remote database toidentify the content and determine whether to record it. The recordingfunction may also be performed by a remote server in accordance with theuser's criteria with the content being downloaded to the local station.Also, recording, either local or remote, can be extended toInternet-based broadcasters.

The user can define another type of fixed channel by selecting a websiteand having the station or a remote server convert the text to speechusing conventional text-to-speech techniques as known in the art. Inthis way, a vast range of textual content can be made available as apart of a personalized radio service.

FIG. 5 depicts elements of a user interface for managing channels anddevices according to one embodiment of the present invention. A firstscreen area 502 shows a list of fixed channels provided by the operator.The channels are presented in a tree structure with certain channelsincluding other channels and so on. By clicking on the “+” or “−” theuser can expand or collapse nodes of the tree structure. For example,the music channel preferably includes multiple genre channels, each ofwhich include sub-genre channels, each of which include artist channels,etc. In the depicted example, the “Sports” channel has been expanded toshow three constituent channels, of which one, “World Sports,” has beenexpanded to show three constituents.

A second screen area 504 shows user-preferred channels. Some of thesepreferred channels are custom channels constructed as described below.The depicted “My Station” is an example of such a channel. Otherpreferred channels include, e.g., user-owned playlists such as the oneshown as “My Music.” Other channels that may appear here includerecorded content and content converted to speech from text. The channelsof screen area 504 may also have a tree structure.

User Channel Customization

A personalized radio service according to the present invention mayoffer many avenues for customization. By querying the user about his orher characteristics and preferences the personalized radio service mayselect the most suitable selection of fixed channels from a largeruniverse of choices. Alternatively, the user could select fixed channelsfrom a linear list or tree-structured list.

According to the present invention, the user may also define customservices as combinations of fixed channels. Some of these fixed channelsmay appear on the list constructed based on the user's query responsesand displayed as available for play. Other fixed channels may beso-called “hidden” fixed channels that are also chosen based on theuser's query responses but not displayed to the user for separatecontent play.

Other avenues of customization include the personalized recording,user-owned content, and website text-to-speech features discussed above.Custom channels may also be defined as combinations of these types offixed channels.

FIG. 6A is a flowchart describing steps of radio service personalizationaccording to one embodiment of the present invention. At step 602, thepre-defined channel tree structure shown in screen area 502 isdisplayed. These channels, or a subset thereof, may be available evenprior to user profile input. As will be explained below, a limitedamount of content may be cached for each of these initially displayedchannels.

At step 604, the user is queried as to his or her interests andcharacteristics to obtain user profile input. For example, the user maybe queried as to home address, gender, income range, educational level,musical interests, hobbies, profession, marital status, number ofchildren, etc. As there may be a relatively lengthy series of questions,in one implementation, registration and capturing of profile informationare accompanied by a displayed “co-pilot,” an audio-visual character whohelps prompt the user and gives words of encouragement in response tothe user's entries, e.g., “I like 60s music too!,” “Now we're going toask you a few questions about your family,” etc. The co-pilot thusserves a direct practical function by guiding the user through thequeries and also makes the personalization tasks less wearisome.

For certain types of input, selection may proceed through dynamicexpansion of available choices depending on previous input. For example,if the user selects “Jazz” music from a list of available genres, he orshe may then be presented with a list of available sub genres including“Classic,” “Blues,” “Smooth,” and “Vocals.”

User profile input may also affect the choices of predefined channels inscreen area 502. In some implementations, the user profile input issolicited before any display of the predefined channels or any elementof the user interface of FIG. 5.

At step 606, the station sets up default preferred channels to list inscreen area 504. The default preferred channels are selected by applyingrules to user profile input gathered in step 604. The rules themselvesare generated centrally and distributed over the network or may behardcoded into the personalized radio service software. For example ifthe user indicates that he listens to sports more than rarely, apersonalized sports channel may be set up with three constituentchannels consisting of special programs, general sporting news, andworld sports.

The preferred channels may also be interspersed with commercials, newsbreaks, or other programming. This programming may take the form of“hidden” channels as discussed below that are selected on the basis ofthe user profile inputs.

Step 608 represents a process of user-guided establishment of preferredchannels. The user can define his own preferred channels. For example, auser can click on a button 506 denoted as “new channel” then populatethe new preferred channel by clicking and dragging from screen area 502or by marking entries in screen area 502 and clicking on button 508marked “add to customized channel.” Any node of the tree structure 502may be selected for inclusion in a preferred channel. A preferredchannel established in this way may also have a tree structureconsisting of nodes or subtrees selected from screen area 502 or fromother entries in screen area 504. The user-established preferredchannels may also be interspersed with material from hidden channels.

The user may further customize a preferred channel by deleting one ormore selected nodes from the tree representing a selected preferredchannel. For example, the user may be interested in having a preferredchannel for a particular combination of music genres but is uninterestedin one or more specific subgenres. By deleting nodes representing theundesired subgenres, the preferred channel is further tailored to theuser's preferences. A delete button 520 may be used for requestingdeletion of nodes.

Channel Prioritization and Downloading

At this point, channels of interest have been determined. Embodiments ofthe present invention provide a desirable user media experience withinthe constraints of network bandwidth and available storage space.Accordingly, at step 610, priorities are established for caching ofchannels. Ideally, all of the content of all the desired channels wouldbe cached but by careful prioritization and updates, the user can gainthe desired experience even where bandwidth and storage must beconserved.

For purposes of allocation of storage space and networking bandwidth,each channel may be divided into “programs.” A first program includes,e.g., three songs or the time equivalent, sampled at a medium qualitylevel. A second program includes the next seven songs, or the timeequivalent, sampled at a higher quality level. A third program includesthe remainder of an hour of channel content sampled at the higherquality level. A fourth program includes two more hours of channelcontent. A fifth program includes the remainder of the channel contents.

For each channel, a cached channel depth is defined as illustrated inFIG. 6B.

CD0 (not shown): no contentCD1 includes program 1CD2 includes programs 1-2CD3 includes program 1-3CD4 includes program 1-4CD5 includes program 1-5.

The storage allocation plan is defined in terms of channel depths. Oneexample plan operates as follows. Initially all of the channels shown inscreen area 502 are preferably downloaded to CD1. These predefinedchannels are then trickle downloaded to CD2 over time. Preferredchannels are downloaded initially to CD3 and then trickled to CD4.Further increases in channel depth are then based on available storagespace, the time spent by the user listening, and/or specific user input.Channel depth may also be decreased if listening patterns reveal userdisinterest. Eventually, channel depth for a rarely used channel maysink to CD0, meaning no storage or bandwidth resources are used for thisparticular channel.

To determine allocation of download bandwidth, station 100 assigns apriority to each desired program. The configured channel depth of thechannel or channels to which a program belongs is one fact. Programswithin the desired channel depth of a channel have their downloadpriority increased. Factors other than configured channel depth may alsoinfluence priority. For example, download priority may also be increasedfor time-sensitive content (e.g., news) relative to time-insensitivecontent (e.g., music). The user may also explicitly program channeldepth and priority levels of 0 to conserve storage resources anddownload bandwidth.

Default channel depths and/or priorities for particular channels mayalso be set by publisher 402 and overridden locally by individualsubscriber action or automatic response to profile input. Furthermore,the default priorities themselves may be based on aggregated preferencefeedback. Content belonging to a popular channel is thus more broadlydistributed.

In one implementation, the user interface is extended to give thesubscriber visibility into the current channel depth configurations andcaching status. For example, by passing a cursor over a particular nodeof the displayed tree structure or clicking and selecting configurationinformation for that node, the user may see the maximum theoreticalavailable channel depth for channels of that node, specified in playtimeand/or storage resources, how much of the channel is already locallycached, and how much of the channel is scheduled to be cached. The userthen also has the opportunity to directly modify the scheduled cachingdepth and thus override the previously configured caching depth. Thiscan immediately free up storage resources for caching of other channels.

At step 612, content is cached in accordance with the establishedpriority levels. Caching of content may occur via distribution network404 in accordance with the techniques described in “Content DistributionArchitecture.” In one implementation, prior to caching, dummy files arecreated locally within the allocated storage space. As the actualcontent is downloaded, these dummy files are overwritten.

Content Play

Step 614 represents the playing of content either on station 100,another station logged into station 100, or portable device 200.Channels may be selected by, e.g., use of radio buttons displayed bystation 100, selection of channel entries in the interface depicted inFIG. 5, etc. Alternatively, the dial or buttons of portable device 200may be used to select channels. A highly beneficial feature ofembodiments of the present invention is that the multiple channelselections are guaranteed to be available for immediate play due to thepre-caching. This contrasts sharply with the usual Internet streamingaudio experience where the listener must wait as each station iscontacted, the material is buffered, etc. In preferred embodiments, eachof the multiple channels is available in less than 250 milliseconds, toprovide a tuning experience similar to that of conventional radio.

Although individual channels have been downloaded, both predefined andpreferred channels will often have a hierarchical structureincorporating other channels as has been described in reference to FIG.5. Furthermore, other types of content such as commercials and soundeffects may be interspersed with the predefined or preferred channels.

Embodiments of the present invention provide that the user's profileinput is used to convert the tree structure of a selected channel to alinear playlist. For example, the indicated relative degrees of userpreference may be used to allocate playtime among musical genres orsubgenres, or among types of information programming. Other rulesdictate the frequency of news programming within a channel otherwisedevoted to music, etc.

Other rules pertain to insertion of information programming,commercials, etc. within other types of programming. Some of thisinserted programming is from channels explicitly included throughoperation of the user interface. Other inserted programming such ascommercials may come from hidden channels that have also been cached.

Typically, insertion points for different types of content will bepredefined based on the rules even if the content itself is not yetcached. The user may also select a random mode, particularly for musicwhere constituent channels are selected at random. Also, for preferredchannels that include periodic information bulletins, etc., the user hasan option to select a “radio-off” feature so that the underlyingcontent, e.g., music, etc. is played without the interruptions.

Step 610 represents the process of transferring cached audio contentfrom station 100 to portable device 200. Portable device 200 maysynchronize its locally cached content to what is now available onstation 100 whenever the appropriate synchronization interfaces arelocally or remotely connected or synchronization may occur via a localconnection or over a network by request.

The caching of audio content corresponding to multiple channels allowsfor play-on-demand of these channels at step 612. This can occur oneither station 100 or portable device 102.

FIGS. 7A-7B depict linear playlists that have been generated frompreferred channel tree structures according to one embodiment of thepresent invention. FIG. 7A depicts a preferred channel including musicinterspersed with various information bulletins. When the preferredchannel starts play, it begins with an introduction and welcome message.Then a “song 1” is played followed by “The Slight Entertainment Minute,”an entertainment news program. This is followed by “Song 2” and “Song3,” which are in turn followed by a short news program, “Local EventsPodunk Times.” Then the user hears “Song 4” and “The Funny Minute,” ashort comedy program. The songs themselves may be part of one predefinedchannel or multiple predefined channels selected by the user. Each ofthe entertainment programs are also supplied by a particular channel.

FIG. 7B depicts a linear playlist derived from another preferredchannel, an all-talk channnel. After the introduction message, “I1,” theitems are “Live Gab,” “Bike Talk,” “Sports News,” and “Dog Radio.” Eachof these items may be provided by a channel selected by the user forinclusion in the preferred channel. For example, the channel for “LiveGab,” may simply consist of one or more episodes of this show.

FIG. 8 depicts how linear playlists are derived from cached contentaccording to one embodiment of the present invention. Three preferredchannels are depicted, “Bill's Radio,” “Bill's Comedy,” and “Bill'sHits.” The audio content to play for the constituent channels making Lipthese preferred channels is organized as a series of “files.” Forexample, individual songs of a music channel are stored as files “s1,”“s2,” “s3,” etc. Other constituent channels include DJ messages, “DJ1,”“DJ2,” etc., entertainment items, “e1,” “e2,” etc., promotion items,“pr1,” “pr2,” etc., and “Headlines.” There are also “stingers,” “p1,”“p2,” etc., sound effects used for identification and announcements.Some of these channels, for example, the stinger and promotion channelsare typically hidden from the user interface. The insertion points arepredefined when the preferred channels are defined. The playlist is thencompiled at time of play based on the currently cached content.

Each of these types is a channel that is cached to a determined channeldepth by associating priority levels to constituent programs of thechannel, each such program being in turn made up of a set of files.Separate pointers are maintained for each constituent channel. Ascontent from a particular channel is included and played, thecorresponding pointer advances. In this way, repetition of content isavoided.

Some channels, particularly channels having promotional content may forma part of the tree structure of multiple preferred channels. It isdesirable then to preserve pointer state when the user switches to adifferent preferred channel. In this way, inserted content such asadvertisements will not be prematurely repeated since the pointers willcontinue where they left off during play of the previously selectedpreferred channel.

The priority level of content for download may change dynamically inaccordance with the listening time devoted to a channel. As listeningtime increases, a greater channel depth will be requested. This mayhappen automatically or based on further user input. For example, if thelistener completes the available content on a CD(x) channel, she may beprompted for interest in further content. If there is further interest,programs up to CD(x+1) or CD(x+2) are marked for high priority download.Also, if the user's listening exhausts the currently locally cachedcontent, previously played content can be repeated.

Certain types of time-sensitive content such as news may be refreshedmore frequently and at regular intervals even at relatively low channeldepths. This is done by increasing the priority levels of theseprograms. For channels that include such periodically refreshed content,the overall effect is to make the whole channel seem fresh whileactually consuming relatively little primetime network bandwidth. Onecan see here a key advantage provided over digital terrestrial andsatellite broadcast schemes in that they use expensive wirelessbandwidth resources for live streaming of all content even where thecontent is not time-sensitive. By contrast, embodiments of the presentinvention exploit the recognition that a large component of the radioexperience can be conveyed by content that has been forwarded and storedrather than broadcast in real time. Also, the user listens at timesconvenient to him rather than having to follow a broadcast schedule.

Synchronization and Transfer of Content to Portable Device

Another aspect of the present invention concerns synchronization betweenstation 100 and portable device 200. Embodiments of the presentinvention provide a customized radio experience on portable device 200despite the limited networking capabilities and storage bandwidthcapabilities of that device.

FIG. 6C is a flowchart describing steps of performing suchsynchronization according to one embodiments of the present invention.At step 650, the station accepts user input selecting content totransfer to the portable device. The portable device need not be dockedat this time. Referring again to FIG. 5, portable devices are listed ina third screen area 510. The user can add a new device by enteringconfiguration input after selecting entry 512, marked “Add New Device.”To add content from a predefined channel to a selected device, the useractivates a button 514 marked “Add to Device.” To similarly add contentfrom a preferred channel to a selected device, the user activates abutton 516, also marked “Add to Device.” Other channels such as thehidden channels referred to above are selected for transfer by defaultwithout user input.

At step 652, the portable device is docked to the station via anysuitable type of connection. The synchronization may initiateautomatically upon docking or may occur in response to user selection ofa sync button 518. At step 654, the amount of available storage space onthe portable device is determined. At step 656, the channels designatedfor this device are pruned to match the available space. In a preferredembodiment, all of the cached content for each channel remaining afterpruning will be transferred to the portable device. Where there isinsufficient space, channels may pruned away from the transfer list.Channels to be pruned may be selected by the user after prompting or maybe automatically selected based on earlier profile input, or in anysuitable way. In an alternative implementation, the channel depthsdefined by station 100 are shrunk for transferred content such that lesscontent of each channel is transferred but more channels may be portablycached. At step 658, the desired content, as pruned is transferred tothe portable device.

At step 660, the portable device is docked again at a later time. In theinterim, the user has presumably listened to some of the previouslytransferred content. At step 662, it is determined which content hasbeen listened to. Step 662 may also determine which content has beenrefreshed on the station due to time sensitivity. Stale or alreadyplayed content on the portable device is then replaced. The replacementcontent may be the content that was pruned at step 656. This preservesthe freshness of the radio experience on the portable device.

In certain implementations, distribution of news channels, trafficchannels, etc., may be via wireless networks directly accessible toportable device 200 rather than through station 100. This furtherimproves the immediacy of the radio experience while restrictingwireless bandwidth demands only to content that benefits from timelyupdates. Wireless networking demands are further diminished by usingpacket-based asynchronous downloading that opportunistically exploitsavailable wireless transmission opportunities rather than requiringcontinuous downloads at fixed times.

In another variation, selection of interspersed content may be based onlocation information within the portable device. For example, multipleadvertising channels may be transferred to the portable device at thetime of docking. When content is being played, a particular one of theadvertising channels is selected to provide interspersed promotionalcontent based on the current location of the portable device. In thisway, the user can hear advertisements of particular relevance to hiscurrent location. The location information may be provided by, e.g., GPSreceiver 213, or by way of triangulation of among cellular systemtowers.

Remote Access to Content and Rights Management

Much of the pre-cached content will be subject to copyright restrictionsand/or contractual arrangement with the contract owners. Accordingly,there is preferably no direct user access to cached content. The cachedcontent is itself preferably encrypted. There is no capability totransfer the audio content to another station or unregistered portabledevice without the permission of the operator of distribution network404.

Where arrangements have been made with the rights owner, the user canemploy the personalized radio interface to purchase content. Thiscontent will then be copied from the encrypted cache and becomeavailable for burning onto a CD, etc. As will be explained below,embodiments of the present invention provide a convenient audio userinterface for purchase of currently playing content.

Embodiments of the present invention also accommodate the user's desireto listen to his or her channel selections at another computer, forexample, the user's work computer. Station 100 can be configured tostream cached audio to another computer over the Internet. The secondcomputer is configured with appropriate access software. The user entershis or her password at the second computer but then obtains full accessto the channels cached at station 100.

The personalized radio service also provides rights-sensitive mechanismsfor sharing audio content with friends and community. The user can sendselected fixed channel and custom channel specifications to othersubscribers to allow them to readily request and play the same content.A messaging structure is built into the service so that text messagescan be sent among subscribers along with identifiers specifying channels(both fixed and custom), individual radio programs, and possiblyindividual songs. Conventional email can also be used for this purpose.

Audio User Interface

Embodiments of the present invention provide a powerful, convenientaudio user interface that interprets user actions in the context ofcurrently played content. The user can, e.g., evaluate content, requestinformation on content, purchase content, etc. In one implementation,XML code associated with the file tells the station or portable devicehow to interpret user actions taken during play of that file. Thesefeatures allow the user to make requests by simply touching a buttoneven when driving, jogging, etc.

FIG. 9 depicts the sequence of user input and computer requests. In thefirst interaction 900, the user requests information about a song andcan purchase it. A button on portable device 200 or appropriate “virtualbutton” on the display of station 100 is defined to be an “information”or “action” button. Activation of this button is an example of a useraction. In FIG. 9, during “Song 2” there is a first activation 902 ofthe information button. This causes, as signified by block 904, displayof the song name and song artist or, alternatively, playing of speechconveying similar information. This in formation may be extracted from ameta-tag stored within the content file and then converted into speech.The price of the song may also be conveyed then. A second activation 906of the information button within a pre-defined time period indicates theuser's desire to purchase the song and leads to, at block 908, displayor speech of a message indicating the purchase and requestingconfirmation. A third activation 910 of the information button leads toconfirmation of the purchase at block 912. After that, the user gainsadditional rights to the purchased content, e.g., the right to burn thecontent on a CD, the right to rewind the content when it is being playedas part of the personalized radio service, etc. Even if the purchasetransaction occurs on the portable device, the rights enhancement may beimplemented at the station following synchronization.

In a second exemplary interaction 914, promotional content, “I1” isplayed and the user has a chance to request information on the promotedgoods or services. By successive user activations of the informationbutton, the user can navigate through a tree of information optionsincluding requesting receipt of an informational email or brochure.

In the example, the promotional content, “I1” includes music and aspoken message, “Want to learn about cool new Acme products?, press yourinfo key.” A first activation 916 of the information button leads toplaying of a first promotional audio item 918, perhaps describing afirst Acme product. A second activation 920 of the information buttonduring first promotional audio item 918 is interpreted as a request forinformation and a message 922 requesting confirmation is displayed orspoken. A third activation 924 of the information button then actuallyleads to the requested information being sent or emailed at block 926.Alternatively, if the first promoted product is not of interest, asecond promotional item 928 about a second Acme product is played.Activation (not shown) of the information button during secondpromotional item 928 would indicate interest in information about thesecond product.

Another feature of the audio user interface plays a brief announcementmessage when a channel is selected. This can be a message announcing thechannel, facilitating tuning among channels when the user is driving orotherwise unable to focus full intention on a visual display. Theannouncement message may consist of content extracted from a meta-tagassociated with the channel and converted to speech.

Another feature of the audio user interface provided by embodiments ofthe present invention is how user interface-related interruptions tocurrently played content are handled. The currently played contentpauses to allow playing of a user audio interface prompt. After theprompt is played, play of the content resumes where it left off.

A selected button on the portable device or virtual counterparts on thestation can also be used to skip undesired content. These skip commandscan be tracked and reported to publisher 402. Also, as the listenerhears content, he or she can evaluate it. In one simple evaluationscheme a first button is used to indicate approval of the content whilea second button is used to indicate disapproval. This feedback can alsobe reported to publisher 402.

Publisher Interface

Embodiments of the present invention provide publisher 402 as a powerfuland convenient tool for distributing audio content, soliciting purchaseof the content or other goods, and soliciting and collecting feedbackabout the content. Publisher 402 need not incorporate distributionnetwork functionality but rather only prepares audio material forinjection into distribution network 402 along with appropriate catalogentries identifying the contents. Details of this process are discussedin greater detail in the co-filed application, “Content DistributionArchitecture.” An advantage of the publishing scheme is that thepublisher need not operate the distribution network or operate serversthat host large amounts of audio content. New content need be injectedinto distribution network 402 only once.

In addition to injecting audio content into distribution network 404,publisher 402 also receives information back from listeners. Thereceived information may also be collected by a separate node or nodes.The received information can include information about contentdesirability including, e.g., counts of skips for particular content, upand down votes, etc. Content desirability information can be used to setdefault priority levels as described above. Although preferably the userinput will be anonymous, demographic information based on user input attime of registration can be collected and correlated to user responses.The received information can also include purchase orders and requestsfor information.

It is understood that the examples and embodiments that are describedherein are for illustrative purposes only and that various modificationsand changes in light thereof will be suggested to persons skilled in theart and are to be included within the spirit and purview of thisapplication and scope of the appended claims and their full scope ofequivalents. For example, the order of processing of flowchart steps ismerely representative. Steps that are depicted as occurring in seriesmay instead occur in parallel. Steps may be skipped, other steps may beadded, etc.

1. A method for providing episodic media, the method comprising:providing a user with a dedicated episodic media channel; receiving asubscription request to the dedicated episodic media channel from theuser; automatically downloading updated episodic media associated withthe dedicated episodic media channel to a computing device associatedwith the user in accordance with the subscription request.
 2. The methodof claim 1, further comprising automatically providing the user with anindication of the availability of updated episodic media via thededicated episodic media channel in accordance with the subscriptionrequest.
 3. The method of claim 1, further comprising synchronizing theupdated episodic media automatically downloaded to the computing deviceassociated with the user with a portable computing devicecommunicatively coupled to the computing device associated with theuser.
 4. The method of claim 3, wherein synchronization of the updatedepisodic media automatically occurs in response to a predetermined usersetting.
 5. The method of claim 3, wherein synchronization of theupdated episodic media occurs in response to a request received from theuser.
 6. The method of claim 1, wherein the updated episodic media ismade available to users not associated with the computing device over alocal area network.